Shane Beamer details changes in Spencer Rattler from last spring game

At this time last year, Spencer Rattler was still the new guy at South Carolina. Now, the Gamecock quarterback is the man on campus in Columbia and, based on how he’s carrying himself, Shane Beamer can tell the difference from then to now.

Beamer commented on the changes that he has seen from who Rattler was a year ago to who he is today in his press conference after South Carolina’s spring game this weekend. He says the fact that everything isn’t foreign to him anymore has been a major plus for him this go around. It has allowed Rattler to be comfortable, ready, and at his best to prepare for next season.

“I just think he’s much more comfortable, confident. Everything was still new for him last year. The city of Columbia, his teammates, being in here in this stadium. He hadn’t played a game yet. There was a lot of newness,” Beamer said. “Now he’s just very poised, very confident, more mature. Not that he was immature but he just handles all situations. There’s not a lot that rattles him, there’s not a lot that gets to him.”

“The biggest thing is just that. The leadership he’s showing right now. He has his teammate’s respect and he’s playing with great confidence,” said Beamer. “He’s been very hungry, like the rest of our team, to continue to build on that.”

Rattler took a minute to get going during his junior year, his first with South Carolina since transferring from Oklahoma. All that ‘newness’ likely had a lot to do with that as he adjusted to his surroundings.

Once he did, though, Rattler played at a top-notch level as he led the Gamecocks to a 7-2 finish to their regular season. In those games, he threw for nearly 250 passing yards per game and 14 touchdowns. That stretch featured a road win over a Top-15 Kentucky team, a top-five blowout over Tennessee, and another ranked victory on the road against their rival in No. 8 Clemson.

Rattler put the rest of college football on notice with how he played to end last season. With him heading into his senior campaign, Beamer expects even better from him this year now that he won’t have to worry about adjusting to anything this time around.